Shock, Vibration and Noise Blog

The Shock, Vibration and Noise Blog is the place for conversation and discussion about shock absorbers, dampers and gas springs; noise control and measurement; vibration/acceleration control systems; and machine mounts and vibration isolators process control tools, specialty chemicals and health and safety. Here, you'll find everything from application ideas, to news and industry trends, to hot topics and cutting edge innovations.

A new study shows that musicians have faster reaction times to sensory stimuli than non-musicians. They were told to click the mouse when they heard a burst of sound from the speakers, when the box vibrated, or when both happened. Subjects wore earplugs to mask any buzzing “audio clue” when the box vibrated.

Editor's Note: This news brief was brought to you by the Shock, Vibration & Noise eNewsletter. Subscribe today to have content like this delivered to your inbox.

Companies are working to develop an industrial MEMS sensor platform that will monitor machines and detect deviations from normal operating conditions. Called AMELI 4.0, the research project aims to cut the costs of maintaining, inspecting, and repairing machines by up to 30% using the sensor system. The sensors generate their own power using the machines' vibrations.

Editor's Note: This news brief was brought to you by the Shock, Vibration & Noise eNewsletter. Subscribe today to have content like this delivered to your inbox.

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has developed a wireless sensor technology that promises less vibration for power generating equipment. Specifically, the system monitors torque fluctuations in the shafts of turbine generators, a capability unavailable until now. Grid induced torque pulsations can lead to shaft component vibration, fatigue, and failure. The new system, presently under test, "ensures that torsional natural frequencies of the shaft systems are sufficiently detuned from the induced stimulus occurring at specific harmonics of the shaft speed."

Editor's Note: This news brief was brought to you by the Shock, Vibration & Noise eNewsletter. Subscribe today to have content like this delivered to your inbox.

Quantum mechanics states that a mechanical object, even at absolute zero, still produces small vibrations called "zero-point fluctuations". However, these vibrations are normally obscured by the thermal motion of atoms, and are therefore, unidentifiable. Researchers have now overcome this challenge with a new sensor system that resolves zero-point fluctuations before they are obscured by thermal vibrations. Why is this discovery newsworthy? The ability to "cultivate quantum states" may play a critical role in developing quantum computers of the future.

Editor's Note: This news brief was brought to you by the Shock, Vibration & Noise eNewsletter. Subscribe today to have content like this delivered to your inbox.

All machines have a unique vibration signature that changes as operating conditions alter. When a disruption in signature occurs, engineers analyze the severity of the faulty condition. This piece from Engineering360 highlights the types of analyzers that monitor signatures, including accelerometers, displacement sensors, and velocity sensors. Additionally, the author discusses critical features of vibration analyzers such as accuracy and sampling frequency. The takeaway message: vibration analysis is an important predictive maintenance tool that helps detect failures and prevent costly equipment downtime.

Editor's Note: This news brief was brought to you by the Shock, Vibration & Noise eNewsletter. Subscribe today to have content like this delivered to your inbox.